a note on PREDESTINATION

People have used these verses as an excuse not to believe, or a rod to attack Christians.

Concerning Esau and Jacob:

“(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calls) it was said to her, ‘The elder shall serve the younger’.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?”
(Romans 9:11-14)

Some people argue that God pre-sets people to be believers or not, we don’t really have a choice.

Similarly with Pharaoh:

Exodus 4:21 “the LORD said to Moses . . . see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh . . . but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.”

Romans 9:18-19: “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardens. You wilt say then to me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?”

. . . as usual they miss the good point that God is making:

the first born, the natural man, is hard-hearted, we are ALL sensual rather than spiritual, selfish, proud etc. (and suffer for it!)

BUT

the good news is we can all become the opposite by receiving the Spirit of God and allowing him to reveal God’s provision in Jesus.

We become “children of promise” rather than “children of the flesh”:

Isaac is a foreshadow of Jesus: Romans 9:7-8: “In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

God has pre-destined ALL who believe this message “to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30)

God knows all things, so he already knows who will choose what, but people DO have a choice!

A signet is pre-destined to become a graceful swan and not remain an “ugly duckling”, all it has to do is eat suitable food, similarly a caterpillar is predestined to become a butterfly, if it can avoid being eaten by birds.